Destiny is Kind
by WhiteStar the Undecided
Summary: Just because someone doesn't look like you,doesn't mean you can't fall in love with them.Just makes your love all the more stronger.Is that true?That is what she wished to know. Could she love someone whom was so different then her? Moreso...would they?
1. Beginning

Alright! Lets see how far I can get with this! I don't own Rango or Roadkill, but I just love Roadkill. I do own Madre and Santiago and all his sexy Horned Viperness. ^-^

* * *

Night in the Mojave Desert is quieter then one would imagine. The creatures that live there know that night is the best time to move about, that that doesn't mean to be loud. At this time, those whom are awake during the day, rest, while those whom prefer the darkness, scatter about in silence. One such creature whom was awake at such a late hour, was an oddity in the desert. Most certainly not the kind of creature who belonged there, and more so in an area covered in trees and foliage. They were covered in numerous body plates, resembling spiked scales, a long tongue slipping out as they gave a yawn. This creature was called a Pangolin, and to her companions, simply called Madre. Around her neck was a necklace made of braided strips from a turquoise and black bandana, her only true possession. She had been laying in the warm sand since the moon had reached its highest point in the sky, merely gazing up at the stars in still silence.

"Madre? What are you doing out so late?"

As the baritone voice reached her ears, the Pangolin turned her gaze from the sky and onto the Horned Viper behind her, his sombrero ever present between his horns. She merely gave him a soft smile. "I could ask of you the same Santiago." The serpent chuckled, slipping up next to her with a whispered rattle of his tail. The Pangolin merely continued to smile before turning back to the stars.

There was a long moment of silence once more before the viper looked to her, "So what are you doing out here?" The elder merely blinked before answering him, "I am searching the stars."Santiago raised an eye ridge, his tongue flicking out skeptically. "And just what, are you searching for, exactly?" Madre gave another soft smile, "Not what, who." Her companion merely rolled his eyes before repeating himself, "Alright then, just _who_ are you searching for?"Madre didn't answer him for a long time, here stillness never faltering as the stars sparkled down at them. The moon reflection of the crystals of sand they lay upon. Finally, Madre gave a tilt of her head and replied, "It is said that when one is lonely, if they gaze up at the night sky, they can see their loved one's amongst the stars."

Such a phrase had never been heard by the viper, so he turned his eyes to the stars to see if what she said was true. But all he saw were the stars. With a snort he flicked his tongue out and rattled his tail in mild irritation, "There ain't nothing up there but dots Madre. I think you've been staying out in the sun too long." When he received a laugh, his tail rattled once more. "Alright then, what do you see?""I cannot see anything but stars Santiago." Her eyes searched amongst every constellation, every bright sun and planet she could see. But still, there was nothing there to soothe the loneliness she spoke of.

"Well if you believe in such a saying, how come you don't see anything?"

The elder merely chucked at his snapped and haughty comment, looking to him with a gentle smile. "I do not see anything, because there is nothing there for me to see." Santiago tilted his head slightly in surprise, his coils shifting and parting the sand beneath him. "Don't you have a family? A mate? Children?"Once again he received a laugh, "Santiago, I'm not even suppose to exist in the desert. Now how am I to find a mate here, hmm? There isn't another creature like me for distances father then you could slither."

Now it was Madre's turn to raise an eye ridge as Santiago began to laugh, shaking his head at her words. That Pangolin huffed softly, tapping her large claws on the sand. "Care to explain my apparent, hilarity?" Santiago just laughed again before sending her a smirk, "For an Elder who guides others across the desert and keeps them alive, you really are stupid. Just because someone doesn't look like you, doesn't mean you can't fall in love with them. Just makes your love all the more stronger."

With that said, he slipped back into the crevice he and their other companions had taken shelter in for the night. Madre watched him go in silence, her long plated tail curling up against her before unfolding and relaxing as it had been. A smile crept onto her lips after a moment before she gazed up at the night sky. "Just because they do not look as you do, does not mean you cannot love them."


	2. Arrival

I do not own Rango; Rango belongs to its specific owners. Nickelodeon I believe. I do own Madre, Santiago, Bailey and Bailey's wife. And the poachers. I do not own the lullaby that Madre is singing. If you can get the hidden reference to another movie, I'll mention you in the start of the next chapter. Enjoy.

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As her companions slept soundly in their shelter, their guide remained where she had been when the Viper had checked on her during the night. She had lain there as the moon had sunk below the horizon once more, the sun rising higher and higher as the temperature swiftly began to rise. They would need to move soon. But for now she would let them sleep.

It wasn't the first time she had denied sleep and laid awake whilst her charges slept. In fact, it was becoming a very regular habit. One she had hoped she would break. But after several weeks of it, it was clear that that wasn't going to happen any time soon. With a soft sigh, the Pangolin got to her feet and stretched out, the plates on her body rippling with the movement. With her claws sinking into the sand with each step, Madre slowly made her way down the large sand dune towards the hardened ground. It may have seemed desolate, but one could always find food if they know where to look.

Using her decent senses and knowledge of the area, Madre went along the routes she knew food to be plentiful. But even then it couldn't be guaranteed. As it was proving to be at that moment. There were neither roots nor small insects anywhere. Madre searched as well as she knew, but still she could find no food. It was a risk traveling farther as her companions could wake up at any moment and decide to venture out on their own. But she needed to find food as she hadn't eaten in a long while. As had the others. If she could find enough food for them all, they would be able to make it to the next 'check point' as she called it even sooner. Climbing to the top of a good sized rock, the Pangolin searched all around below her with her eyes, perking considerably when she spotted a colony of crickets. It would be thin spread between them, but it would do.

Madre took a step forward so as to get a better look only for her eyes to open wide as the rock crumbled under her claw. Before she could make a sound, the rock completely broke away and sent her tumbling down into the gulley where she had seen the crickets. Each impact with the rock knocked what breath she had away before she finally came to rest on her belly at the bottom, aches spreading over every inch of her. Her plates had absorbed a great deal of the damage, but even then it still hurt to even blink. She wasn't getting any younger mind you. As her vision began to grow dark, all Madre could think about were her companions. Who would watch over them now? Who would guide them? And…just what was going to happen to her? With such worries plaguing her thoughts, Madre's eyes closed as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

"_Damn it Parks we can't keep them here! Those detectives will be here soon and my ass ain't goin' to jail because you can't make a damn sale!"_

"_Don't you blame it on me! You're the one whom caught them all!"_

_It had been like this all morning. The two humans were at each other's throats about what to do with their, cargo. They couldn't well as all just let them go. Too valuable, but there was no way in hell they'd be able to sell them all off before that evening. And the moment the detectives caught wind what they were harboring, they'd be locked up before they'd get a chance to call a lawyer._

"_Look, just get the damn things into the truck! We'll drop them off with our client and half his price for that leopard if he watches the others for us."_

_The second poacher, Parks, scowled heavily, assuredly despising losing money, but it'd be better to lose half their pay then lose even more giving up their cargo (and paying for lawyers). "Fine. Load'em up and let's get moving. More distance we put between ourselves and that damned detective the less bloody edgy I'll be."_

_With the decision made, the two humans began lifting and carting cages to their tarped truck, at times drugging the creatures within to speed up the loading. There were at least a dozen animals that had been captured, from bobcat to an albino bat and various strange creatures in between. The last to be loaded was a plated creature, near three feet in length when one included the tail. They possessed five clawed toes on each paw, perfect for digging to insects, and a long, strong tail. The poachers didn't give it a second glance as they shoved it in with the others, ignoring the whispering squeak it gave from the jolt. Out of all the animals, this creature had traveled one of the farthest distances, coming all the way from middle Africa. When asked by the other creatures, she, yes she, had told them she was a Cape Pangolin. Her voice had been fluid, but very strong, deep but with a very light tone. Surprising, yet fitting in its own way. She hadn't had time to tell them her name, the poachers having silenced them after that._

"_Alright, we're loaded up."_

_Fastening the lip of the tarp to the base of the truck bed, the animals were sent into darkness, hidden from the outside world as best they could be. They all shuffled in their cages as they felt the engine start up, their cages rattling as they truck pulled out of the poacher's hideout and onto the open road. No one knew where they were. All they knew was that they were stuck there until they were sold. Some for pets, others for...more horrible fates._

_The truck continued well on until the heat from the sun no longer could be felt through the thick tarp, sending the truck bed into a mild chill. The creatures curled up to retain what warmth they could; though it hardly did any good to fight away the chill. They were silent, taking this time to rest and enjoy the silence, until the truck gave a hard lurch, causing the cages to shake and rattle. Fur and scales stood on end, claws dug into what they could reach, wide eyes flickered across the back of the truck and cages until another hard lurch jolted them farther. The lip of the tarp ripped free, causing a harsh vacuum as the tailgate dropped; the starch darkness of the night flitting past. Streaks of yellow could be seen at times, but the truck was moving far too swiftly for them to truly be made out. The animals piled as far away from the open tailgate, putting as much of their weight as they could to keep them back._

_A third lurch cause one cage to crash forward, just leaning over the edge of the tailgate when it came to rest. Within was the Cape Pangolin, her eyes wide as she scraped at the truck bed hoping for grip to pull her forward and to safety. Her companions watched in frozen shock as the truck jolted a fourth and final time, sending the Pangolin and her cage crashing onto the pavement. She didn't have time to cry out as she was sent tumbling and rolling, her body curling into a ball as tight as it could, hoping for some form of protection from her plates. It wasn't long before the cage went still, coming to a stop just off the edge of the road, sand seeping up through the cracks as everything went still._

_She was still, her plates trembling as the world finally seemed to slow down, the air growing quiet once more. After a time she slowly shifted, lifting her head up from her coil, eyes flickering over the landscape around her; the road, the flat desert land, the power lines dotting the land, before finally coming to rest on the door to her cage. It__was open. Slowly, hesitantly she fully uncurled, taking a step or two before quickly dashing out into the open, sighing in relief as she settled in the sand, still warm from the day's sun. It reminded her of home._

_Home._

_Just the mention of it made her pause and wonder, will she ever get home? True she had no, personal connections, no family, no friends, an associate or two. Pangolin were extremely solitary creatures, only coming together to have children. She didn't have any children. Never could find the right male._

_A sigh slipped from her chest as she got to her feet. She couldn't remain there. Certainly not. Those poachers might return and she certainly didn't want to meet the fate they had planned for her. A hard shudder ran down her spine and she forced herself not to curl up at the thought of being sliced up and eaten, her plates being turned into a handbag. Giving her surroundings one final look, the Pangolin headed out into the desert. At first glance all she could see was flat lands for every which way, but it didn't take long for her to spot canyons in the distance. Where there were canyons, there would be shade. True she was used to the heat from her homeland, but it was still a relief to get out of it from time to time. The bush is where she belonged, not flat barren landscape._

_As she walked, the Pangolin's eyes raised up to the sky, the glittering stars shining down on her, winking and seeming to smile at her. The father she went, the more the silence began to deafen her. It was never this quiet in her homeland. To quell this silence, a soft hum rose up from her chest; a few whispered words caressed the air at times. "Olele, olele, moliba makasi. Olele, olele, moliba makasi. Mboka na ye. Luka luka. Mboka na ye. Mboka, Mboka, Kasaϊ." Her claws were silent in the sand as the canyons drew closer and closer. It wouldn't be long now._

_Not too far before her, she could make out the shape of a rock jutting out of the ground. At the sight of it she became aware of how tired her limbs felt. A few minutes rest would do no harm. Keeping back a yawn, the Pangolin slipped over towards the rock, her long tail leaving odd furrows in the sand behind her. Pausing only to scratch at her neck with a long claw, she soon found herself settled beneath the, landmark of sorts, her eyes shutting as she took a few minutes to let her muscles ease and rest._

_At least until she heard a soft rattling sound followed by an equally soft whimpering hiss. Now the rattle was something she hadn't heard before in all her years, but she recognized the hiss clearly, despite how quiet it was. Near jolting out of her plates, the Pangolin leaped up and jolted forward, dashing around to the other side away from the source of the hissing. For a long moment the night was still again, the sand settling down as it had been before slowly, slowly she peaked around the corner, her eyes softly glinting in the darkness of the night, the moon being the only thing enabling her too see real clear. What she saw near made her heart melt; her features softening and drawing her back around the rock again._

_Nestled in a tiny dent in the sand by the base of the rock, was an equally tiny snake; his eyes large and wide in fear as he gazed up at her. His scales, a bit ragged in appearance, were very pale and two tiny little nubs of horns were just peeking out of the scales above his eyes. Eyes that were such a startling blue it near took her breath away from such a sweet sight. Why, he couldn't have been more than three inches in length. At the base of his tail was what she guessed was the source of the sound she had heard, for when it shifted it made a soft bony tinkling sound. The two gazed at each other in silence before the tiny snake took a shaky breath in an attempt to puff himself up._

_With the 'backing' sound of his tiny rattle, the snake shifted into a striking position. "K-Keep away! O-Or I bite!"_

_Now despite his tiny size, she knew baby snakes could be deadly in their own right, but it was highly unlikely the scared toddler would know not to striker her plates and go for a softer hidden area. Despite never having raised a child of her own, she couldn't help feel the pull to soothe the poor thing. With a soft smile she took a few steps forward but kept her distance for now, her voice tender and gentle._

"_Now little one, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. Come now, what's your name hmm?"_

_The little snake whimpered softly, curling up and lowering his head, blinked a few times softly before speaking again. "S…Santi…ago…" Though she was so much more massive than his parents, the child felt soothed from her gentle nature. If a bit._

"_Santiago? Why, that's a wonderful name. Do you know who named you?" She continued to keep her distance, letting the child become more accustomed to her before daring to get any closer. His little head nodded softly, his voice becoming a bit louder as he blinked again. "My Ma…"_

_"Your Mama named you? Well, she certainly had an eye for names, didn't she? Now, what are you doing out here all alone? Where are your Mama and Papa?" The Pangolin drew back when the tiny snake began to sniffle and tear up before burying his face in his coils as he cried. "I, I can't find Ma! Can't find Pa!" Her heart shuddered within her chest, causing her to go forward and tenderly brush the back of his head with the smooth edge of her claw. "No no no, don't cry, don't cry…It'll be alright. I'm sure they are looking for you little one. And, if you like, I can help you find them, hmm?" The smooth caress of her touch and her words drew his now glittering eyes back up to her in something tune to wonder. "You…You will?" Her smile seemed to grow as he cries began to fade, her head softly dipping in a nod of confirmation. "Of course I will. I won't leave you all alone out here. Come here, come, come."_

_With a grip as gentle as she could, she opened her mouth and softly picked him up by his middle in a manner similar to how a mother lion would carry her cubs. She couldn't hide a smile as his tiny tail curled around her muzzle and his head rested on her nose, his eyes gazing up at her hopefully. Though she had only just met him, she wanted him to find his family again. She just couldn't simply abandon him. Casting a final glance at the stars, she continued on towards the canyons as she had been before, forgoing her rest to help the child she had just met._

_As Santiago eventually slipped into an exhausted sleep, she would take a minute or so breaks very so often so as she shake herself awake before picking him up again and continuing on until the sand began to regain its warmth, the sun just barely visible on the horizon. She had traveled all night, and still she had seen no sign of his parents. Though her hope was stretched as far as she had traveled, she couldn't give up on finding them._

_Settling again to take a brief rest, she smiled softly as he began to wake, yawning and stretching out his tiny fangs before looking up at her tiredly. "Ma? Pa?" With sad eyes she began to say that she hadn't found them when she heard a distant cry. Her head lifted and she looked around them, softly shushing him before arching onto her back legs, looking to the horizon as best she could. Just barely could a voice be heard._

"_-iago…Santiago…!"_

_With the whisper just reaching him, Santiago raised his head and looked around nervously. "Pa…?" When he heard the cry again, a wide smile slipped on to his features and she swore she would hear that excited rattle in her ears for a long while after. "PA!"A sigh of relief slipping from her chest, the Pangolin lowered herself down the moment she caught sight of a slim figure in the distance drawing closer and closer. Keeping her chuckles but a whisper she followed after him as he eagerly glided towards the figure. The closer the two groups became, the easier she could make this, Pa, out. He was long of course, as any snake would be, but he was…uncharacteristically small, thin, and she could tell despite having never seen a snake like himself before. He was the same species Santiago was; only his horns were much, much larger, skinny and increasingly sharp and curved. He wore a simple straw had on his head, barely even tattered from any age at all. However, what caught her eye was his tail. Unlike Santiago's tiny rattle, this snake had no rattle at all. Just a long curved tail like a simple viper. Though her curiosity was nagging to see just why he lacked a rattle, it was brushed away the moment he coiled around Santiago and nuzzled the child with all the love she had ever seen, tears running down his scales._

_While his new companion was merely happy that the two had been reunited, Santiago had never been more ecstatic to see his father in all his life and had not one issue returning his nuzzles as best he could. "Pa! Ya finded me!" The larger sidewinder just chuckled and continued to nuzzle him, squeezing him tenderly in his coils. "Santiago, you near scared the scales off your Mama and me. We've been searching every grain of this desert lookin' for you." Santiago lowered his head guiltily, knowing well he was in trouble for wandering off but he didn't care how he'd get punished, lack or desert or anything, he just never wanted to leave his parents again. "Sorry Pa…" Once more the viper chuckled before he finally caught sight of the large Pangolin watching them with a smile._

_Giving a smile in return it was all he could do to tip his hat to her in gratitude, "Mam…I can't thank you enough for watchin' over my boy. His Mama and I would be lost without him." His words made her smile even wider and drew a chuckle from her chest. "Please, do not thank me. I am simply glad that we found you. The poor things been so frightened."_

_The once worried sick father nodded lightly, this time completely taking off his hat and bowing his head. "Travis Bailey Winters, at your humble service Mam. Please, if there is any way my wife and I could help you, we'd be happy as all be to do so."_

_The Pangolin simply bowed her head in return, "I thank you Mr. Winters, but all I need right now, is to know where I am. I was taken from my homeland, a great distance away from here. I fear I will never return, and, if that is the case I would like to know where it is I shall be calling home from now on."_

_Though he had heard only little of her plight, Travis felt a great deal of sorrow for the woman, obviously very tired and exhausted, not to mention probably starving and dehydrated. "Of course Mam. You're in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Just a couple days north of the Mexico border."_

_Despite having known she was far from home, hearing that she was all the way in the Mojave, a great deal away from her home, sent a strange chill through her plates. Any hope of going back were quickly dissipated and vanished. Her eyes lowered and she drooped a bit. "The, Mojave…" As a tear just began to form in her eyes, she heard a tiny voice near her paw._

"_Madre? You okay?"_

_Drawing herself out of her thoughts, the Pangolin turned her gaze to Santiago, whom was looking up at her wide eyed and curious. The child's genuine concern drew her away from her sadness, and the name he had called her made her smile. "Madre? What is, Madre?" Unable to help himself, Travis let out a soft chuckle before explaining it to her. "Madre is Spanish for mother. His Ma tried to get him to call her that, but he went with Ma instead. Easier to say."_

_The translation of the name she had been called made her cock her head to the side in a bit of confusion, though she was anything but insulted. "Madre, little one? Why am I, Madre?" The little sidewinder only giggle and wrapping himself around her wrist as best he could. "You look after me like Ma! So your Ma too, but Madre!" Again he drew a smile and soft laugh from her chest, giving her joy she hadn't believed she would experience again after she had been captured. "Alright, Madre it is then."_

_While his son cheered at the acceptance, Travis began to speak again. Only…his lips did not match what she heard._

"_Madre."_

_In confusion she asked him to repeat, and once again it did not match._

"_Madre."_

_Louder and louder the call became, and as it did so, the more she became confused. This voice, it was not Travis' nor Santiago's. Her eyes shut as she tried to make them out, to fully understand what they were saying to her. Who, who was calling her? How did they know her?_

"_Madre. Wake up Madre. Madre!"_

Her eyes suddenly snapped open. Her plates hot to the touch. All she could see, was fire.


End file.
